Zipper



Nov. 13, 1962 A. STEINGRUBNER 3,063,120

ZIPPER Filed Sept. 22, 1959 United States Patent Office 3,0631% Fatented Nov. 13., loss 3,063,120 ZIPPER Arthur Steingriibner, Bonn, Germany, assignor to Patentgesellschaft Plate & Co., Altdorf, Switzerland Filed Sept. 22, 1959, Ser. No. 841,640 Claims priority, application Germany Sept. 27, 1958 6 Claims. (Cl. 24Z05,13)

The present invention relates to continuous interlocking elements for slide fasteners and more particularly to a blank of interlocking elements punched out of a thin sheet and constituting a continuous body of material, as well as to a method for producing such interlocking elements.

It is known to form blanks for slide fastener elements from elongated continuous plastic sheets. A plastic sheet is partly punched out so that a ladder-shaped flat body is formed, i.e. the punched-out portions are spacedly disposed in a longitudinal row and are laterally confined by continuous longitudinal strips of material and longitndinally by transverse strips connecting the longitudinal strips with each other. Slide fasteners made from such known blanks are unsatisfactory. Even if very thin sheet material is used the afore-described known blanks are very stiff so that the zippers or slide fasteners made therefrom can be used only for special purposes but cannot be used for clothing and wherever else easy operation and gOOd flexibility of the zipper are necessary.

his the object of the present invention to provide interlocking elements for zippers which are formed of a continuous body of sheet material and which still have an excellent flexibility.

The present invention employs as a starting material a thin sheet which preferably consists of plastic material, such as polyamide, polyurethane, polyester or like material. The sheet may be provided with one or several reinforcing ribs. Predetermined portions of the sheet material are punched out in such a manner that a flat which are closer to the corresponding portions of adjacent transverse parts than the lateral or leg portions which extend from the center portion to the longitudinal edges the the blank, i.e. the center portion of each transverse part is enlarged or it is provided with one or several projections. One of the enlarged or projecting portions is then used as the coupling element for connecting two rows of interlocking elements with each other in order to close the zipper.

According to another feature of the invention, coupling of the zipper halves is assured by providing the transverse parts of the strip with one or two bent portions.

The invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein FIGURE 1 shows a part of a uniform, flat, thin sheet of plastic material used as a raw material for producing the links of rows of the invention;

FIGURE 2 shows a part of a similar thin sheet provided with a reinforcing rib;

FIGURES 3, 4, 5 are plan views ofblanks punched out of the thin sheet of FIG. 2;

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of a blank made from the sheet of FIG. 1;

FIGURE 6a is a plan view of another blank made from the sheet of FIG. 1;

FIGURE 7 is a plan view of another continuous blank of the invention which has been punched out of the sheet shown in FIGURE 2;

FIGURES 8 and 9 are cross-sectional views of folded blanks;

FIGURES l0 and 11 are perspective views of respective folded blanks ready for mounting on a supporting tape;

FIGURES 12 and 13 show slide fastener halves made from the blanks of FIGS. 10 and 11 respectively and illustrate different manners of attaching the elements to a supporting tape, the view being in side elevation; and

FIGURES 14 to 16 are cross-sectional views of fastener elements attached to the supporting tape.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, an elongated thin sheet 1, preferably consisting of plastic material, such as polyamide, polyurethane or polyester material, is provided with a longitudinally extending reinforcing rib 7. A rib 7 may be provided on both sides, i.e. on the upper and the lower side of the thin sheet 1, or on one side only, i.e. the upper or the lower side.

It is also possible to provide the thin sheet with a plurality of reinforcing ribs arranged parallel to one another.

According to a basic feature of the invention, an elongated slide fastener blank, as shown in FIGURES 3 to 7 is punched out of the sheet 1. The punched-out portions 11 and 12, which are longitudinally spaced from each other, extend alternatingly in a transverse direction inwardly fromrespective lateral edges of the sheet, thus forming a serpentine-shaped flat strip 3. The center or head portion of each transverse section of the strip 3 is reinforced by portions of the rib 7 which may longitudinally project to form, together with the underlying portion of sheet 1, projecting locking heads 6. As shown in FIGURE 3, the center portions of the transverse sections may have a double locking head extending longitudinally in either direction while the strip shown in FIG- URE 4 has a single locking head projecting from each center portion in one direction only.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, a sheet 1, as shown in FIGURE 2, and as used for the blanks shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 can also be used for the blank illustrated in FIGURE 5. However, the leg portions 5 of the strip 3, which constitute the remainder of each transverse section on either side of the center portion, are provided with additional longitudinal projections 6a and 6b. These additional projections 6a, 6b are located at either side of a locking head 6 and extend in the same direction as the latter.

The locking heads 6 provided in the reinforced center portion of the strip 3 serve as coupling links for coupling the halves of the slide fastener to each other, while the projections 6a and 6b provided on the leg portions 5 of strip 3 are not reinforced and serve as spacers between adjacent leg portions 5. The leg portions 5 are perpendicular to the longitudinal center line 20.

If, the blank is made froma sheet having a plurality of reinforcing ribs, the spacers 6a and 6b are preferably made from the reinforcing ribs.

The blank of FIGURE 6 is punched out of the sheet of FIGURE 1. No reinforcing ribs are used. The punched-out portions 11 and 12 are so arranged that the leg portions 5 are obliquely inclined relative to the longitudinal center line of the blank, and that a double bend 8a, 8b is obtained in the center portion of each transverse section of the blank. At each bend, a corner portion of the blank projects into the punched-out recess and constitutes a locking head.

FIGURE 6a also illustrates a blank made without a reinforcing rib. However, the punch-out portions 11" and 12" are so arranged .that only one bend 8c is obtained in the center portion of the transverse section.

According to a further embodiment of the invention, shown in FIGURE 7, the blank 16 is punched out of a thin sheet having a reinforcing rib as shown in FIGURE 2. The straight leg portions 5" are inclined relative to the longitudinal center line 21 of the blank and they are also inclined relative to both longitudinally adjacent leg portions so that a zigzag-shaped strip is formed.

FIGURES 8 and 9 are cross-sectional views of continuous slide fastener elements of the invention made by folding the blank illustrated in FIGURE 5. The locking head 6 punched out of the reinforcing rib 7 serves as a coupling member for coupling two halves of the zipper or slide fastener, and the projections 6a and 6b serve as spacers between adjacent transverse sections of the blank each of which forms an individual fastener element.

Blanks of the types shown in FIGURES 3 to 7 areseen in folded condition in FIGURES 8 to 11. FIGURE 8 shows a folding pattern and FIGURE 9 an asymmetrical one. In the embodiment shown in FIGURE 10 the leg portions 5 of the strip 3 are perpendicular to the direction of elongation of the blank of the slide fastener made therefrom, while in the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 11, the leg portions 5' are obliquely inclined relative to this direction.

The folded blanks can be mounted on a supporting tape by conventional methods such as by welding or by sewing.

The folded blanks may be sewn to a tape 9 in different ways. Several known types of sewing stitches which are employed to advantage are illustrated in FIGS. 12 and 13 which show the folded blanks of FIGS. 10 and 11 respectively secured to a supporting tape 9 by means of a chain-stitch 10, a loop-stitch 13 and a zigzag-stitch 14. It is also possible to fasten the blank on the tape 9 by double seams. FIGURES 14 and 15 are cross-sectional views of a symmetrical folded blank sewn on a tape 9 in such a manner that the tape is straddled by the blank i.e. the leg portions 5 hold the tape 9 therebetween. FIGURE 14 shows the use of a tape 9 thinner than the width of the head portion of the blank and FIGURE 15 the use of a thick tape 9.

An asymmetrically folded blank is illustrated in FIG- URE 16. The blank is sewn to one side of the tape 9, i.e. leg portions 5 are on the same side of the tape 9.

Obviously, many modifications of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What I claim is:

1. A slide fastener blank comprising:

(a) an elongated substantially flat, thin sheet member having two longitudinal edges and a top face portion extending between said edges; and

(b) elongated reinforcing means upwardly projecting on acenter portion of said face portion spaced from said edges,

(0) said sheet member and said reinforcing means being formed with a plurality of longitudinally spaced recesses, said recesses being elongated transversely of the direction of elongation of said sheet member,

(d) the spacing of said recesses being substantially greater than the thickness of said sheet member, and

(e) longitudinally consecutive ones of said recesses extending from respective ones of said edges beyond said center portion, whereby said sheet member has the configuration of a substantially fiat serpentine strip,

(1) said reinforcing means constituting a plurality of central, longitudinally aligned upward projections on said top face portion,

(g) said sheet member having a substantially straight first wall in each of said recesses and a second wall opposite said first wall, and a projection on said first wall and extending therefrom in said recess toward said second wall.

2. A slide fastener blank comprising:

(a) an elongated substantially flat, thin sheet member having two longitudinal edges and a top face portion extending between said edges; and

(b) elongated reinforcing means upwardly projecting on a center portion of said face portion spaced from said edges,

((C) said sheet member and said reinforcing means being formed with a plurality of longitudinally spaced recesses, said recesses being elongated transversely of the direction of elongation of said sheet member,

(d) the spacing of said recesses being substantially greater than the thickness of said sheet member, and

(e) longitudinally consecutive ones of said recesses extending from respective ones of said edges beyond said center portion, whereby said sheet member has the configuration of a substantially fiat serpentine strip,

(f) said reinforcing means constituting a plurality of central, longitudinally aligned upward projections on said top face portion, and

(g) said sheet member having a substantially straight first wall in each of said recesses and a second wall opposite said first wall, and a plurality of projections on said first wall and extending therefrom in said recess toward said second wall.

3. A slide fastener blank comprising:

(a) an elongated substantially fiat, thin sheet member having two longitudinal edges and a top face portion extending between said edges; and

(b) elongated reinforcing means upwardly projecting on a center portion of said face portion spaced from said edges,

(0) said sheet member and said reinforcing means being formed with a plurality of longitudinally spaced recesses, said recesses being elongated transversely of the direction of elongation of said sheet member,

(d) the spacing of said recesses being substantially greater than the thickness of said sheet member, and

(e) longitudinally consecutive ones of said recesses extending from respective ones of said edges beyond said center portion, whereby said sheet member has the configuration of a substantially flat serpentine strip,

(1) said reinforcing means constituting a plurality of central, longitudinally aligned upward projections on said top face portion, and

(g) said sheet member having a substantially straight first wall in each of said recesses adjacent said reinforcing means, and a second wall opposite said first wall, and a projection on said reinforcing means and on an adjacent portion of said first wall, said projection extending in said recess toward said second wall.

4. A blank as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first and second walls are substantially parallel and substantially perpendicular to the direction of elongation of said sheet member.

5. A blank as set forth in claim 1, wherein said walls are obliquely inclined relative to the direction of elongation of said sheet member.

6. A blank as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said recesses has a plurality of longitudinally consecutive portions, at least one of said portions being angularly offset from an adjacent portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 6 Puschner May 20, 1941 Boenecke Nov. 18, 1941 Macy Mar. 3, 1953 Dittrnayer Mar. 10, 1959 Macy Apr. 7, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain May 15, 1929 Germany May 26, 1955 Belgium Dec. 15, 1955 Belgium Nov. 14, 1956 

